GENERAL HISTORY. 



[29 



power of wielding the first sceptre 

 in Europe, to the station of lord 

 of a pettj' island, was one of the 

 greatest that history records, yet 

 the alleviations by which it was 

 attended might in some degree 

 flatter his pride, and support his 

 ideas of self-consequence. The 

 circumstances of tlie parting scene 

 are thus described in a French 

 paper. To the officers and subal- 

 terns of the old guard, who were 

 still with him, he spoke in nearly 

 the following words : " I bid you 

 farewell. During the twenty years 

 that we have acted together, I 

 have been satisfied with you : I 

 have always found you in the path 

 of glory. All the powers of Eu- 

 rope have armed against me : a 

 part of my generals have betrayed 

 their duty : France itself has be- 

 trayed it. With your assistance, 

 and that of the brave men who 

 remained faithful to me, I have 

 for three yeais preserved France 

 from civil war. Be faithful to 

 the new king whom France has 

 chosen ; be obedient to your com- 

 manders ; and do not abandon 

 your dear country which too long 

 has suffered. Pity not my fate : I 

 shall be happy when 1 know that 

 you are so likewise. 1 might 

 have died : nothing would have 

 been easier to me : but I still 

 wish to pursue the path of glory. 

 What we have done I will write. 

 I cannot embrace you all ; but I 

 will embrace your general. Come, 

 general. Let the eagle be brought 

 to me, that 1 may also embrace 

 it. Ah, dear Eagle! may the 

 kibses which I bestow on you re- 

 wound to posterity ! Adieu, my 



children ! Adieu, my brave com- 

 panions ! Once more encompass 

 me." The staff, accompanied by 

 the commissioners of the four al- 

 lied powers, formed a (ircle round 

 him, and Buonaparte got into his 

 carriage, manifestly affected with 

 the scene, and dropping some 

 tears. He was followed by four- 

 teen carriages, and his escort em- 

 ployed sixty post-horses. The 

 four commissioners accompanied 

 him, and four officers of his house- 

 hold were part of his suite. Few 

 of the military attended him. 

 Thus France was quitted by its 

 late ruler, it may be hoped never 

 to return. 



A very different scene was soon 

 after witnessed by the shores of 

 England, lewis XVIII, who had 

 first been received as a sovereign, 

 with the greatest respect and cor- 

 diality, in the British capital, 

 [See the Chronicle,] proceeded to 

 Dover, the place of embarkation 

 for his kingdom, attended by the 

 Prince Regent, and a company of 

 persons of rank, English and 

 French. From that port he sailed 

 on April 24th, in the Royal So- 

 vereign yacht, convoyed by the 

 Duke of Clarence in the Jason 

 flag ship, and in the view of an 

 immense concourse of applauding 

 spectators ; and after a passage off 

 three hours, anchored in Calais 

 roads. He was welcomed in that 

 town with all the demonstrations 

 of loyal affection, and by slow 

 stages took his journey towards his 

 capital, where vast preparations 

 were ranking for his reception; 

 and with this memorable event we 

 close the present chapter. 



